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William Oberndorf is the co-founder of SPO Advisory Corp, an investment firm located in Mill Valley, California.[1] According to Forbes, SPO Advisory "is an owner of a number of businesses in a broad range of industries with an asset orientation."[2]

Oberndorf is the chairman of the UC San Francisco Foundation. He has served as the chairman of the board of Aggregates U.S.A. and Rosewood Hotels & Resorts. He is a member of the investment committee of Hotel Equity Funds and is a director emeritus of Plum Creek Timber Co. He is a former board member of Taft Broadcasting Company, Voyager Learning Company and Wometco Cable Television Corporation.[2] Oberndorf is a director of Calpine Corp., effective Janurary 1, 2011.[3]

Oberndorf graduated from Williams College in 1975 and received an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business in 1978.[1]

The "SPO" in "SPO Advisory Corp" stands for the initials of the last names of its three co-founders, all of whom graduated for the Standford Graduate School of Business: John Scully, Bill Patterson and Oberndorf.[4]

Education reform

Oberndorf is a co-founder, board member and past chairman of the Alliance for School Choice.[5] He is the 2010 recipient of the John T. Walton Champions for Education Choice Award.[6]